In something of a surprise move, Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke announced Friday that Chris Narveson, not Mike Fiers, will open the season in the bullpen.

Narveson will become the team's long reliever for the time being, with Fiers settling into the fifth spot in the rotation. Yovani Gallardo, Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta are the three scheduled starters for the Brewers' season-opening series against the Colorado Rockies, with the newly signed Kyle Lohse likely to make his debut when Milwaukee opens a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday.

Narveson also will not start Saturday's exhibition game against the Chicago White Sox at Miller Park as had been planned. Roenicke said Burke Badenhop has been in the conversation as pitching an inning early with Narveson coming in after a couple of innings to pitch three or four innings.

Roenicke stressed that Narveson hadn't experienced any setbacks with his surgically repaired left shoulder, just that the Brewers didn't want to ride him too hard at the start of the season.

"We want to back off him a little bit," Roenicke said. "He's OK, but he's really been pushing through this thing in spring training, through the surgery. In the long run, it's probably going to help him out to limit his innings at the start."

Narveson's last two starts in Cactus League play couldn't have been more disparate.

On March 20, he threw six innings of one-hit, shutout ball in a 0-0, 10-inning tie with the San Francisco Giants. He didn't issue a walk and struck out four.

He followed that by allowing eight hits - including a grand slam -six earned runs and five walks in a loss to the Oakland A's on Monday.

For the spring, Narveson went 1-2 with a 5.50 earned-run average in five starts (18.0 innings). Narveson struck out 10, walked six and had a WHIP of 1.61. Opposing batters hit .311 against him.

Roenicke said the plan is for Narveson to follow Lohse out of the bullpen in Lohse's first start.

Narveson last pitched in a major-league game April 15. He underwent season-ending surgery on his left rotator cuff and labrum on May 1.

Fiers, meanwhile, was roughed up in his last start for the Brewers when he allowed eight hits, seven earned runs and two walks in a loss to the Chicago White Sox.

He has since thrown an 83-pitch outing in a Class A minor-league game and is scheduled to start another minor-league game in Arizona before rejoining the Brewers in Milwaukee.

In six appearances in Cactus League play (five starts, 19 1/3 innings), Fiers went 2-1 with a 6.98 ERA and WHIP of 1.91. He recorded a team-best 16 strikeouts, but opposing batters hit .333 against him.

Fiers was 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA for the Brewers last season in 23 games (22 starts). He was 8-6 with a 2.88 ERA over his first 16 starts before tailing off badly the rest of the way.

The move leaves the Brewers with no left-handers in the rotation, which doesn't appear to bother Roenicke.

"It doesn't factor in my mind that much," he said.

It also leaves one remaining spot in what will be a 13-man bullpen. That race has come down to righties Alfredo Figaro and Donovan Hand.

Feeling fine

Lohse made it through his 3 2/3-inning, 54-pitch start against the Rockies on Thursday with no issues. The plan is to let him throw a bullpen session Saturday and then reassess where he stands.

"Pretty typical, to be honest," Lohse said. "It was a little step back pitch-wise from what I had been doing, so I think going forward I'll be able to go back up to where I was - 90 or more, depending on the situation.

"I don't know what the exact plan is going forward, but I'm ready for anything, ready for wherever they want me to fit in."

Roenicke seemed to leave the door open a crack for Lohse to possibly take Peralta's start against the Rockies, but that scenario doesn't seem likely.

Lohse just wants to be a part of the first turn through, no matter what day it is.

"Based on the timing of everything, I don't want to throw everybody off just because I'm here," he said. "I know we have the rotation set up for that first series, and I'm willing to do whatever they ask of me. I'm ready to jump right in there. I've done the work.

"Yesterday was a big day to show everybody where I'm at, and I think I passed that test. Today I feel good. Doesn't matter when it is I jump in as long as it's in those first five games. It's a long season and I'll still be getting my 30-plus starts in and shooting for those 200-plus innings as long as I stay healthy."

Brewers lose Stinson

The Brewers cleared a spot on their 40-man roster by waiving pitcher Josh Stinson, who was claimed by the Oakland A's.

Stinson, 25, posted a 1.50 ERA in 10 outings (12 innings) in spring training. He pitched in six games for the Brewers in 2012.

His 40-man roster spot will go to either Figaro or Hand. Now the Brewers need to decide if catcher/first baseman Blake Lalli is worth making another 40-man roster move or if they'll keep outfielder Khris Davis, who's already on the 40-man.

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